The Heart of the Truest Believer
The Heart of the Truest Believer Episode Number: Season 3, Episode 1 Directed By: Ralph Hemecker Air Date: September 29, 2013 Previous Episode: And Straight On 'Til Morning Next Episode Lost Girl "The Heart of the Truest Believer" is the Season 3 premiere of the American fairytale/drama series, Once Upon a Time. It was first broadcast on September 29, 2013. This episode features the show's core characters journeying to Neverland in hopes of rescuing Henry, who was captured by Greg and Tamara, before Peter Pan can get his hands on him. While doing so, the characters must learn to co-operate during a dangerous storm. Meanwhile, Neal tries to find a way out of the Enchanted Forest in order to save Emma Swan from the dangers that lie ahead for her. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, and was watched by 8.45 million viewers, down considerably from the second season premiere "Broken". Plot 'Opening Sequence' Henry and the fugitive boy fly through a forest in Neverland. 'In the Enchanted Forest' Neal wakes up in the same place where Aurora woke from her sleeping curse, being tended to by her, Prince Phillip, and Mulan. When Neal reveals that he knows Emma, Aurora tries to communicate with Henry through the Netherworld via the sleeping curse. When she is unsuccessful, Neal and Mulan set out for Rumplestiltskin's castle, hoping to find something to lead them to Emma and Henry. When they arrive there, they meet Robin Hood, who has taken up residence in the castle, but allows them to search for what they seek to repay the life debt he owes Rumplestiltskin. Finding his father's old staff, Neal manages to uncover a concealed cabinet full of magical objects, including a crystal ball that tells him that Emma is in Neverland. 'In the Character's Past' The episode opens eleven years prior, with Emma Swan giving birth to Henry. As he is born, the lights in the hospital begin flickering and fading. The doctor tells Emma that she can change her mind about giving the baby up for adoption, but Emma replies that she cannot be a mother. 'In Neverland' Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Mr. Gold, and Hook arrive in Neverland via the portal from the magic bean. Gold admonishes Emma for not having enough belief, which is essential to have in a place like Neverland, and leaves the party to search for Henry on the island himself. Emma holds Mary Margaret and David accountable for what has happened, believing that she should never have broken the curse and simply left Storybrooke with Henry. Hook commiserates with her over the loss of Neal, but their mourning is interrupted by an attack on the Jolly Roger by mermaids. Mary Margaret and Emma catch one in a net, while Regina drives the others away with fire. The makeshift crew argues among themselves about what to do with the mermaid, who summons a storm with a conch shell. The storm continues to worsen, and Regina turns the mermaid into a wooden statue. Further arguing makes Mary Margaret finally release her years of rage against Regina and the two begin assaulting each other, prompting David to attempt to break it up and get drawn into a brawl with Hook. Emma realizes that their strife is causing the storm, echoing the mermaid's warning that they would kill themselves. In order to force them to cooperate, she dives overboard and is struck by a pulley that has fallen from the ship's rigging. The plan works as everyone puts aside their differences to help David get into the water to rescue her. The storm clears up and the Jolly Roger is able to approach the island. Despite Hook's earlier plan of making their way around the island and catching the Lost Boys by surprise, Emma elects to lead the crew on a direct assault route, declaring that they must believe in each other in order for them to succeed in Neverland. Meanwhile, Henry is taken by Greg and Tamara through the jungle. Henry points out their unfounded trust in Peter Pan, a statement which begins to worry them when they discover the walkie-talkie they use to communicate with the Home Office is filled with sand. The Lost Boys soon find them, and reveal themselves to be the Home Office Greg and Tamara worked for, much to their displeasure. The leader of the Lost Boys, Felix, reveals that the plan was never to destroy magic, and that Greg and Tamara aren't meant to return to their world. The Shadow arrives and rips Greg's shadow from his body when he refuses to hand over Henry, and Tamara is shot with an arrow. Henry flees in the confusion, and is taken aside by a fellow runaway. The runaway reveals that he was a former Lost Boy, and stole pixie dust from Pan, hoping to escape from Neverland. However, he cannot make himself fly with it. Gold arrives at the scene of the skirmish, and finds Tamara still alive. She tells him that Henry ran, and that she and Greg had no idea that they were working for Pan. She also apologizes about Neal, but Gold crushes her heart. He and Felix meet in a clearing, with Felix welcoming Gold but warning him that if he is in Neverland for Henry, that makes him Pan's enemy. Rumplestiltskin remarks that nothing has changed, and scoffs at the idea of his survival, only wanting to take down as many Lost Boys as he can before he dies. Felix responds by leaving behind a doll of a child, which reduces Rumplestiltskin to tears. Henry and the runaway attempt to find the Echo Caves, where the Lost Boys will not be able to track them, but come to a ravine. Henry takes the pixie dust, and has enough belief in its power to allow him to fly. The runaway reveals that he himself is Peter Pan, and that he has been seeking the heart of the truest believer, which resides in Henry. Pan signals the Lost Boys, who surround Henry. Cast Starring *Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard *Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan *Lana Parrilla as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills *Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan/Prince James *Emilie de Ravin as Belle *Colin O'Donoghue as Hook *Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy *Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills *Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold Guest Starring *Robbie Kay as Peter Pan *Ethan Embry as Greg Mendell *Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara *Sean Maguire as Robin Hood *Jamie Chung as Mulan *Julian Morris as Prince Phillip *Sarah Bolger as Aurora *Parker Croft as Felix *Natasha Wilson as Mermaid Trivia Production Notes= *The title card features Henry and Peter Pan in flight. *The title of this episode was announced by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on July 2, 2013. *The original fifty-one page episode script cover was autographed by Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Colin O'Donoghue, Michael Raymond-James, Jared S. Gilmore and Robert Carlyle and donated as an auction bidding item towards a fundraiser, which raises money for St. Stephen Children's Centre in Uganda. The script's final bid price totaled eight-hundred fifty dollars. *This is the first episode in which Storybrooke does not appear. *This episode was number one in social media generating 136,627 tweets on Twitter. *A shot of the Jolly Roger sailing in the moonlight, is the same as the opening shot of the previous episode, "And Straight On 'Til Morning". *During last minute prepping to shoot his first scene as Robin Hood, Sean Maguire admitted to a publicity photographer that he didn't know how to use a bow and arrow. Coincidentally, the photographer happens to practice archery and taught Sean how to handle and use a bow and arrow. |-|Goofs= *As Neal and Mulan are walking in the Enchanted Forest, Mulan's hair changes with the camera. In up-close shots, some of her hair is over her shoulder. In further-off shots, all of her hair is behind her shoulder.